


The Meat

by DaHyoSaYeon



Series: The Shadow Saga (On Hiatus) [1]
Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Cannibalistic Thoughts, Mental Instability, Mental Institutions, Psychological Horror, Short & Sweet, Tags Contain Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2020-01-05 23:58:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18376745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaHyoSaYeon/pseuds/DaHyoSaYeon
Summary: Nayeon works at a gas station. Shit gets weird.





	The Meat

The door to the gas station swung open with a creak, the small bell dangling near the doorframe gave a chime, and in stepped a figured draped in thick, black cloth. Mad, wide eyes scanned the store, the only visible features under the hood. The figure's gaze settled on the young woman behind the counter, who had casually glanced over the top of her magazine in greeting, before swiveling to stare at the freezer near the back of the store; the cashier followed his gaze and, upon reaching the object of his desires, offered the following:

"Can I help you, sir?"

He slowly rotated his head to stare at her. 

"Meat"

The cashier watched as mist flowed out from the darknessof his hood with the word.

Slightly perturbed but nonetheless not wanting to judge this stranger harshly or unfairly, she began to explain the freezer situation.

"Yeah, the freezer packed up like two days ago, all the meat had to be removed, so-"

"Meat"

"It's not in there, dude"

"Meat"

Apprehension growing, the cashier reached for the phone sitting on her side of the counter and dialled the number of the owner.

"I'm just contacting someone about the freezer, give me, like 3 minutes, sir"

The figure turned to the cashier and held her gaze until the fear became too much and the cashier broke eye contact. The phone rang and rang until eventually the cashier was greeted by the voice of her boss; the cashier spoke softly, all the while aware of the figure stating at her with its unblinking eyes.

"It's Nayeon. Yeah, hi. Listen, there's a guy in here looking for meat but- yes, I already told him- yes, I told him-"

Nayeon shot a furtive look at the figure, who's gaze never wavered and returned to looking the cracks in the countertop.

"He's freaking me out, okay- you know I never call unless I have to- fine. When I end up a corpse stuffed inside some fucking weirdo's trunk, it'll be your fault" 

With a clatter, Nayeon threw the receiver down, missing the dock completely; when she bent down to retrieve it, she froze. A freezing expulsion of air touched the back of her neck, she knew the figure was above her, she could feel its eyes drilling into the back of her skull. Slowly, she raised her head and fell backwards, bumping her head against the cabinet behind her; the figure was eye level with her, its hands resting on the countertop, its eyes staring into her soul.

"Meat"

"Sir, there's no meat here and there won't be for a really fucking long time, so leave or I call the cops"

The figure's fingers inched across the counter, bony, black, gnarled appendages tipped with blackened, rotted nails, and it pulled itself closer, hoisting itself onto the counter.

"Meat"

Nayeon clutched the receiver to her chest, afraid to move. The figure slumped over on the counter and edged forward; its eyes disappeared into the hood and a wave of mist poured onto the the floor, forming water droplets as it met the warm tiles. 

"What the fuck are you?" 

Said the cashier as she scrambled to her feet, back against the cabinet, the cool glass made her skin crawl.

"Meat"

The figure slid forward until it tumbled to the floor in a heap at her feet. 

"Meat"

"Meat"

"Meat"

"Meat"

A gnarled hand shot out from the pile of rags and clasped its deathly cold grip around Nayeon's ankle. 

"Fuck off!"

Nayeon ripped her leg free and stomped on the hand, crushing it to a fine dust; the remaining stump retreated back under the cloth.

"I don't know who or what the fuck you are but leave me alone!"

Nayeon's heartbeat thumped audibly in the small store, her assailant lay motionless and silent at her feet. The shaken cashier edged along the wall, eyes locked on the heaped cloth, she paused every so often to make sure the figure wasn't actually moving; the phone rang, sending Nayeon into a panic, she dropped it to the floor with a loud clack. The phone bounced twice and slid across the floor, stopping next to the unmoving thing. Nayeon dropped to her knees and crept closer, reaching her arm out as far she could, in the hopes of grabbing the phone without getting too close.

Her fingers touched the receiver and she pulled the grey plastic phone to her; it rang again. She answered.

"H-hello?- Yeah- No- I don't know- Yeah, he or it, hasn't moved for a bit. I think it's dead- Okay- Hurry, please, I'm scared"

The line went dead and Nayeon reached up to place the phone on the counter; an ice cold hand wrapped its fingers around her own. Quivering with terror, Nayeon turned to face the thing on the other side of the counter and nearly dropped dead on the spot. The entire store was packed to the rafters with hooded figures, all with the same mad eyes staring at her.

When they spoke, it was in unison. Their vocal timbre shook the windows. Their voices echoed as though they were in a cave. They repeated one word, over and over and over:

"Meat"

The voices rose in pitch and volume, the words surrounded Nayeon, pressing around her like physical things. Her head ached, her mind screamed to be released from this torture, she could feel her will to live leave her body.

Then it stopped.

Nayeon glanced around the store and found it empty; the hooded figure in a pile on the floor was gone. She was alone with the whirring of a shitty fan and the hum of the fridges. The jingle of the bell caused Nayeon to jump.

"Hey hey, you alright?"

No hooded figure this time, just her boss.

"Did you see it?"

"I saw you cowering on the floor, that's about it"

"But the hooded people and the meat and-"

"What hooded people?"

"I-I, they were here but-"

"Maybe the heat got to you, it's really fucking hot in here"

"Maybe, I don't know"

"So, did the guy come through to fix the freezer?"

"No, it's still busted"

"You sure?"

"Yeah, there was just me and that thing"

"Thing?"

"The guy I called you about, the one that was freaking me out and asking for the meat"

"When did you call me?"

"Like 20 minutes ago"

"You never called me, Nayeon"

"Yes I did, Jeongyeon"

"No, you didn't. I'm here because the freezer repair guy said the place was closed when he got here"

"He must've gone to the wrong place then"

"Nayeon, this is the only gas station in town"

"So, I'm lying?"

"I never said that. Listen, maybe you should take a break, take a couple of days off"

"I guess, but what about the store?"

"What about it?"

"Who'll run it while I'm gone?"

"Me. I'm not incapable you know"

"Yeah, totally"

"But Nayeon-"

"Yeah?"

"Shouldn't you be worried about the meat?"

"What?"

Nayeon's blood ran cold, her heart raced.

"What did you say?"

"Meat"

A sharp pain in her right leg brought Nayeon back to reality. 

She was surrounded by hooded figures, eyes staring down at her; a soft chant of that cursed word filled the store once again. Mad whispers snapped in her ear and terrifying visuals danced before her. Her mind was foggy, a delirium had overtaken her senses, leaving her unable to tell reality from fiction. Nayeon thrashed and flung herself around in an attempt to break free from the figures holding her down. Another pain in her right leg, followed by an unnatural but welcome sleep.

When Nayeon woke, she found herself in a room. A room she recognised, its pale green walls and grey door were all to familiar to her. A face stared at her through the bars in the door.

"You okay now?"

Nayeon looked down at her bandaged arms and missing fingernails and nodded.

"I hate when it happens, you know?"

"Yeah, I know, Yeonie"

"How come you're out of your room?"

"Good behaviour"

"Really?"

"Yeah, I haven't bitten anyone lately or hissed at anyone either. So, I get to watch TV today"

"What's on?"

"A new episode, well, new to me, of Run"

"Enjoy it, I guess"

"I'll wait for you to watch it, if you want"

"No no, go enjoy yourself. I'll be out later"

"Okay Yeonie. Oh, before I forget, cause maybe I won't see you like last time, but anyway, I love you Yeonie"

"Love you too, Sana"

The other girl disappeared from behind the bars and Nayeon listened as her footsteps faded down the tiled hallway. Nayeon laid back down and stared at the ceiling; her mind wandered back to when it all started, the visions and nightmares, the visitations, the cruel demands of hooded figures. 

"Maybe if I hadn't listened to you, my sister would still be alive and I wouldn't be in here" 

She said to the shadow in the corner of the room, staring at her.

Nayeon lay there, talking to the shadow until she heard voices outside her door, one she recognised and one she didn't.

"Careful, she's a biter"

"Aren't they all?"

"This one is special though"

"I know, I know. That's why I'm here. It's not everyday you get to work with someone like her"

"What do think it's like, doc"

"What?"

"Eating a person?"

"Traumatic for most, I assume"

"What about eating your own sister?"

"That's what I'm here to find out, isn't it?"

"Hey, you're the doctor, not me"

"Well, I'm ready when you are"

"Oh yeah, any pens, pencils, pins, badges you're holding out on?"

"No, all handed in before I stepped foot into the building"

"Good good, okay. Well, I think we're done here. You go on in and I'll be outside, just in case"

"Thank you-?"

"Jeongyeon"

"Yes, thank you, Jeongyeon"

A click followed by a bar sliding out of its locked position allowed access to Nayeon's room. The doctor took a seat near the edge of the bed and introduced herself:

"Good evening Nayeon. I'm Dr Myoui-"

"Hey"

"So, before we start. What's on your mind?"

Nayeon sat up and leaned forward, staring at the good doctor. The corners of her mouth raised into a big, beautiful smile.

"Oh you know. Meat"

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this on my phone over two breaks at work, if the spelling is bad, I'm sorry.
> 
> It's nothing special but hey, it's something.
> 
> Don't forget to smash that like button, hit the subscribe button and press the little bell down here to get notifications so the YouTube algorithm doesn't get confused.
> 
> As always, stay cheeki breeki.


End file.
